A VICAR who admitted owning more than 55,000 indecent images of children has been living in Horsell, just half a mile from the two village schools.

Rev Richard Hart, 59, who is now in custody, had been staying at an address in Whopshott Avenue, Horsell, far from his hometown of Beguildy in Powys, Wales.

He was staying just half a mile from both the Horsell Village School and the Horsell Church of England Junior School.

Rev Hart pleaded guilty to 12 charges of making indecent images of children, four of taking indecent images and five of possessing images at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday.

Forty-four of the pictures were category five — the most serious category.

Married Rev Hart, who was the vicar in the rural village of Beguildy, near Knighton, Powys, has been suspended from his church duties in Wales as well as his role as chair of governors at the Beguildy Church-in-Wales school.

Defence barrister John Ryan said: "Hart is on bail but wishes to begin his time behind bars today."

After the case, Canon Robert Jones, the child protection officer for the Swansea and Brecon diocese of the Church in Wales, said: "We are deeply saddened and shocked that one of its clerics should plead guilty to such very serious offences involved indecent images of children.

"It is of particular concern that these offences should have occurred at a time when he held a very responsible and privileged position in one of our church communities.

"We regularly review our child protection policy which came into force 10 years ago to try to eliminate the possibility of people behaving in this way."

Sentencing is due to take place at Cardiff Crown Court on September 25.